Debit and credit shift mechanism



Aug. 15, 1933. w. A; ANDERSON 1,922,653

DEBIT AND CREDIT SHIFT MECHANISM FOR BOOKKEEPING MACHINES Filed 001:.16. 1929 1 36511161".- ZL alT/BT J1 Jindef'sow,

Patented Aug. 15, 1933 DEBIT AND CREDIT SHIFTMECHANISM FOR BOOKKEEPINGMACHINES Walter Adelbert Anderson, Rockford, Ill., assignor toSundstrand Corporation, of Wilmington, Del., a Corporation of DelawareApplication October 16, 1929. Serial No. 399,931 10 Claims. (01.197-177) This invention relates to computing and printing machinesespecially adapted for operating upon one or more work pieces including,usually, a ledger sheet. Such a machine comprises a relatively longpaper carriage to support the work sheet or sheets, the carriage beinglaterally movable and being equipped with tabulating devices to effectstoppage of the carriage in the difierent columnar positions and tocause the machine to perform the necessary functions in each columnarposition. For one example of such a machine, reference may be made toapplication Serial No. 118,628, filed June 26, 1926 by Oscar J.Sundstrand.

In the use of such a machine it is customary for the operator to enterall items of a certain class, as, for example, all the debit items, andthen enter the items of the other class, as, for example, the credititems. Since these classes of items are entered in different columns onthe ledger sheet a difierent arrangement of tabulating devices isrequired when posting debits than when posting credits. This necessityhas heretofore been met either by readjusting the tabulating devices onthe paper carriage at the conclusion of the operation of posting debits,or by employing two separate carriers adapted to be interchangeablyattached to the paper carriage, one carrier being equipped with thetabulating devices which are needed during the posting of debits and theother carrier being equipped with the tabulatingdevices which arerequired when posting credits.

It has also been proposedto use a carrier in the form of an elongatedplate hinged to the paper carriage at one of its longer edges, saidplate having upon its lower side pins adapted. to cause the operationsnecessary for both classes of postings, means being provided to tilt theplate upwardly to render the distinctively creditcontrolling devicesineffective during the posting of debits and for tilting the plateupwardly to render the distinctively debit devices ineffective duringthe posting of credits. The present invention relates to simple andconvenient means for readily controlling the operation of the plate forthe performance of the desired class of operations.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmental right-hand side elevation of a bookkeepingmachine embodying .the features of my invention, the parts being shownin position for the performance of one class of posting operations.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a control plate which is specificallydifferent from the one illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the parts adjusted forposting the other class of items.

The laterally movable paper carriage 1 has an elongated control plate 2pivoted to the carriage to swing upon the axis 3. For a full disclosureof such a control plate, reference may be made to the Sundstrandapplication Serial No. 118,628. A roller 4 on the machine frame isadapted to support the rear edge of the control plate. On the lower sideof the 0 control plate are located transverse rows of stop pins 5, asmore fully disclosed in said Sundstrand application. These stop pinscoact with a group of devices (not shown) located on the machine frame.

In the specific form of control plate illustrated in Fig. 2 (anddisclosed more fully in application Serial No. 420,328 filed January 13,1930) a series of control blocks 5 are employed to produce the desiredcombination of machine 3 operations in the respective columnar positionsof the carriage. Each of the several control blocks 5' is the equivalentof one of the transverse rows of pins employed in the constructionillustrated in Fig. 1, the several blocks being adjustably and removablyattached to the control plate for the purpose of facilitating adjustmentof the machine to different classes of work.

In practice, there is one such row of stop pins for each columnarposition required in the postina of debits and a row of stop pins foreach columnar position required in the posting of credits. Some of theserows of stop pins are employed in both classes of posting, whereas 5others are used only in debit posting and still others only in theposting of credits. In order that the rows oi stop pins which aredistinctive to credit posting shall not coact with the control deviceson the machine frame during the posting of debits, and vice verse, Iprovide the means to be now described.

Each of the distinctively debit rows of stop pins has associatedtherewith a lug 6 arranged adjacent to the rear edge of the controlplate to travel in a certain plane as the paper carriage makes itsworking stroke. Associated with each distinctively credit row of stoppins is a. similar lug 7 attached to the control plate near the rearedge of the latter to travel in a path different from the path taken bythe lugs 6. The lugs 6 and 'l are beveled'at their forward sides so asto be adapted to engage a roller 8 supported on the machine frame andthus cause the control plate to tilt upwardly as the lu is riding oversaid roller and thereby cause the corresponding row of stop pins to jumpover the control devices on the machine frame. the paper carriageproceeding to the next columnar position. The roller 8 is supported sothat it may be moved into the path of either the lugs 6 or the lugs 7.Herein is shown a-slide 9 which is guided on the machine frame by meansof a guide pin 10 and a guide screw 11. Said slide is mounted formovement in a line parallel to the plane occupied by the control plate 2when the latter rests upon the supporting roller 4. The roller 8 ismounted on an upstanding portion 12 of the slide 9.

The means for moving the slide 9 comprises a lever 13 pivoted in themachine frame at 141, the upper arm of said lever having a pin-andslotconnection with the slide. The other arm of the lever is connected bymeans of a link 15 to a hand lever 16 pivoted in the machine frame at17, said hand lever having a handle 18. It will be seen thatreciprocation of the hand lever 16 will cause reciprocation oi the slide9.

In order to locate the roller 8 definitely in either of its twopositions and hold the roller in adjusted position during operation, Iprovide means, as. for example, a detent 19 pivoted at 20 in the machineframe, said detent having two notches 21 to receive a pin 22 on thelever 13. A contractile spring 23 holds the detent 19 in engagement withthe pin, but permits the detent to yield to allow the pin to move fromone to the other of the notches when the lever 16 is manipulated.

The operation will be clear upon the foregoing description. Before theposting of debits is begun, the roller 8 is adjusted into position so asto engage the lugs which are associated with the distinctively creditsets of stop pins. When credits are to be posted the roller 8 is movedinto its other position wherein it is engaged by the lugs associatedwith the distinctively debit sets of stop pins.

It will be seen that it is a very simple matter to adjust the tabulatingdevices for the performance of the two classes of bookkeeping entries.The hand lever 16 is located at the righthand side of the machine whereit is in plain sight and within convenient reach of the operator.

In the following claims I have used the term "transverse row of controlelements to denote a row of stop pins 5 as in Fig. l or a block 5' as inFig. 2 or any equivalent construction.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a machine of the class described, a papercarriage, a control plate pivoted to said paper carriage, parts on saidplate arranged to travel in different paths, a member on the machineframe movable into position to be engaged by the parts which travel inone path and also being movable into position to be engaged by the partstraveling in the other path, said parts being arranged to ride over saidmember in the travel of the paper carriage and thus raise the controlplate into inoperative position, and manipulative means located at theside of the machine for adjusting said member into either of its twopositions.

aeaaosa 2. The combination with a computing machine of a paper carriage,a control element movably connected to said paper carriage, parts onsaid element arranged to travel in different paths, a member on themachine frame movable into position to be engaged by the parts whichtravel in one path and also being movable into position to be engaged bythe parts traveling in the other path, said parts being arranged to rideover said member in the travel of the paper carriage and thus move thecontrol element into inoperative position, and manipulative meanslocated at the side of the machine for adjusting said member into eitherof its two positions.

3. The combination with a computing machine of a paper carriage, acontrol plate pivoted to said paper carriage, two beveled lugs on saidplate arranged to travel in difierent paths, a member on the machineframe to be engaged by said lugs, said lugs being arranged to ride oversaid member in the travel of the paper carriage and thus raise thecontrol plate into inoperative position, and manipulative means locatedat the side of the machine for causing relative adjustment of said lugson the one hand and said member on the other hand, to establishoperative relation between said member and either lug.

4. In combination with a computing machine and the laterally movablecarriage thereof, control means connected to said carriage to efiectoperation of said machine in predetermined lateral positions of saidcarriage, and manipulative means efiective in one position to rendersaid control means ineffective in a selected one of the predeterminedlateral positions of said carriage and efiective in a second position torender said control means ineffective in a selected position of saidcarriage different from said first mentioned selected position.

5. In combination with a computing machine of the class described havinga laterally movable carriage, sets of machine-control means connected tosaid carriage for lateral move- -ment therewith, said control meansbeing adapted to condition said machine for operation in predeterminedlateral positions of said carriage, a plurality of parts on saidcarriage, each of said parts corresponding with a certain one of saidsets of machine-control means, and a relatively stationary member tocoact with said parts, said member being adjustable to coact withselected ones of said parts to disable said machine-control means incorresponding positions of said carriage.

6. A bookkeeping machine comprising, in combination, a laterally movablepaper carriage, a control plate operably connected to and movable withsaid carriage, means on said control plate to condition said machine foroperation in predetermined lateral positions of said carriage, lugs onsaid control plate in positions corresponding with predetermined ones ofsaid conditioning means, said lugs being arranged to travel in pathsspaced from one another, a member on the machine frame, lever meanseffective to move said member into the path of movement of either ofsaid lugs, and manipulative means effective to actuate said lever means.

7. In combination, a bookkeeping machine having a laterally movablecarriage, a control plate movable with said carriage, said plate havingtransverse rows of control elements, each row corresponding to apredetermined columnar position of said carriage, said elements beingadapted to effect control of said machine in said columnar positions,settable means adapted to occupy two positions of adjustment, and partson said control plate each corresponding to a single columnar position,said settable means being effective to cooperate with said parts todisable the control elements in the corresponding columnar positions 0!the carriage.

8. In combination, a bookkeeping machine having a laterally movablecarriage, a control plate movable with said carriage, said plate havingtransverse rows of control elements, each row corresponding to apredetermined columnar position of said carriage, said elements beingadapted to effect control of said machine in said columnar positions,settable means adapted to occupy two positions of adjustment and partson said control plate rearwardly of certain ones of said transverse rowsof control elements, said settable means being efiective to cooperatewith said parts to disable the control elements in the correspondingcolumnar positions of the carriage.

9. In combination, a bookkeeping machine having a laterally movablecarriage, a control plate movable with said carriage, said plate havingtransverse rows of control elements, each row corresponding to apredetermined lateral position of said carriage, said elements beingadapted to effect control of said machine in said lateral positions, andsettable means effective in one position of adjustment to disable saidcontrol elements in a selected one of the predetermined lateralpositions of said carriage and effective in a second position ofadjustment to disable said control elements in a second one of thepredetermined lateral positions of said carriage.

10. In combination, a bookkeeping machine having a laterally movablecarriage, means connected to and movable with said carriage, said meanscorresponding toa plurality of columnar positions of said carriage, andbeing effective to control said machine in said positions, and meansincluding a manipulative element adjustable to two positions to disablesaid first mentioned means in either of two of said columnar positions.

WALTER ADELBERT ANDERSON.

